You’re taking pics. You’re lining up great shots. You’re in the zone then … zzziiittt. Huh? What the heck is happening?
Turns out that what-the-heck is a camera lens that won’t retract. How the #$@% did that happen?
I tried everything to get it working again. Then finally realized that like my old pal, Olympus, my Canon was beyond repair. At least by me. I was in shock. Me? Without a camera? Not a good thing. Not good at all.
Then Serendipity stepped in. (I must say she arrived at the most opportune time.) My friend, Jeff, offered to send me his mirrorless Sony A6000, with lenses. Wow.
Having vowed, repeatedly, that I did not want to get caught up in lenses and camera bags and toting “stuff” again, I began to weaken.
I fell in love with that Sony. (Okay, I may as well admit it: I caved and bought myself one. With a telephoto lens. And when the purse strings weaken I’ll get a macro lens too. Oh, woman, thou art so easily swayed.)
I’ll get in touch with Canon and see what, if anything, can be done for my long-time lens-plagued companion. In the meantime, Sony & I will be outside getting acquainted.
The Lens and I 
This and your earlier article really resonated with me. I started out life as a photographer 50years ago and my first SLR was a 21st Birthday gift – a Pentax S1a. That was a marvelous camera with clip-on light meter over the prism housing and it went to the Himalayas with me (amongst other places) and always produced well exposed results.
In recent years I have used Nikon SLRs but always I’ve carried a Canon G10, that has been a faithful companion to many wild places on ski and on foot. Last week it died just like your G12 without warning. The lens would not retract – the message said: ‘lens error, restart the camera’. Nothing worked. It’s dead. So I too am now searching for a replacement. Maybe a G15 or G16, or perhaps a Panasonic LX100. Love your site, and thanks for the comment over on my blog.
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So sorry to hear about your little Canon, Andy. My condolences. Any luck with repairs?
A very small world at times — interesting parallels in our lives!
I’m enjoying the Sony but still not sure if it delivers the same quality I got with the G12. I struggle with closeups — not near enough for my liking with either the kit lens or the 55-210 and focus doesn’t seem as sharp. On the other hand, maybe it’s just me and my inexperience. I’ll see what I shall see as I shoot my way through summer. 🙂
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Actually, the malfunction was the push I needed to get a new compact for every-day use. The G10 was showing its age and noise at anything higher than ISO 400 was annoying. So, I’m looking forward to something better; although getting used to a different layout of controls and menus will take a while to get used to. The more we use new cameras the more familiar we become with them.
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Good luck with your hunt — I’d be interested to know what you decide on. 🙂
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I am on my final camera I think for a very long time..a monster Canon Mark III without a manual! I treated myself on my country move after using my lovely little Panasonic Lumix but failing to make grade. I hadn’t had a camera for years…an Olympus Trip way back I loved and a SLR Minolta that I just couldn’t get to grips with, with film you took to your chemist to develop. The pictures were so so.
The DSLRS are amazing and the learning curve huge. One piece of advice I heard and love is “chase the light”..it helps. This week I found I could alter the viewfinder as I wear glasses….ah so now it’s sharper! How is the Sony progressing?
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I’m loving this little camera more and more. I had thought of going the larger DSLR route but realized that small is my style. I want something that is easy to pick up and carry and this fits the bill.The mirrorless Sony is quite a little workhorse. (It’s also lightweight.) I’m using Manual settings right now, learning how to weave Aperture, Speed and ISO together to get the photo I want. Prior to this I was using mostly Aperture mode. LOTS to learn for sure. 🙂
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